I have been working on this project on and off for a long time. This is one of the reasons I got into 3d printing in the first place. I started by going to a local studio and getting my body scanned then turned into scan data. From there I started to model the armor on top of my 3d model. The painted mask was a paint test where I can perfect the weathering and look for the rest of the costume. The second mask was printed solid and re-designed with some inner supports for the grated mesh.

Scorpion Shoulder Armor has been quiet a challenge so far. Two different designs and numerous sizing changes. After a couple of tweaks to the models and some failed prints, I got all the final parts printed. This weekend we glue, sand and prime!

These is the final design that I decided to print.

Shoulder armor fit test. This was my second print of this piece at a larger scale and really low print settings. This was meant to be used only for fitting purposes. The first print I made was a bit too small, with the second being scaled about 20%.

Curious -- I do a lot of reverse engineering these days but it's usually in an engineering context. When you're designing things like the mask, what's your process for fitting it to the scanned data? Do you just model it close? Do you snap it to the scanned geometry?

Curious -- I do a lot of reverse engineering these days but it's usually in an engineering context. When you're designing things like the mask, what's your process for fitting it to the scanned data? Do you just model it close? Do you snap it to the scanned geometry?

Thanks! Well the first task was to actually scale the scan data. I took a measurement of my ear and then scaled the model to match the measurement. I left a little breathing room for the mask, and printed a test. The test was just the top part of the mask, where it made contact with my nose and cheekbone. The test fit perfect so I printed the full mask. I'm actually thinking about doing another print with some more damage and wear on it the surface. If you look at the shoulder armor, that's the look I'm thinking about going for.

I would really like to actually build the black scaled body suit that he has. Would this be possible to do in a flexible material, especially the neck part as it will need to bend. I'm open to suggestions. I could also create a cast and mold it with some type of rubber, so that another option I could research. Thanks in advance.

The propmaker's approach to this kind of thing would be to print it in something like PLA, make a mold, and cast it (the strap-like bits might get sewn and distressed). I don't know where you're located, but in Los Angeles, Reynold's Advanced Materials could talk you through molding/demolding and recommend Smooth-On branded products that would get you going.

Vice Chief wrote:The propmaker's approach to this kind of thing would be to print it in something like PLA, make a mold, and cast it (the strap-like bits might get sewn and distressed). I don't know where you're located, but in Los Angeles, Reynold's Advanced Materials could talk you through molding/demolding and recommend Smooth-On branded products that would get you going.

The cosplayer's approach would be to form it from Worbla or other foams/thermoplastics. One approach might be to print the detailed surface in a flexible material, but install it on a Worbla base.

Thanks for the info, I watched the video and that company seems like a good resource to have.

Thanks for your input. I think both methods will have their challenges, pros and cons. I'm leaning towards the first and treating this more as a prop, latex/ rubber mask build. I will have to further up my game into the world of cast and molding as I am pretty new to the process. Sculpting the scale pattern digitally on top of my scan data and printing it would work. The print time would be astronomical since I would be basically almost printing a life size torso from my waist up. I would be able to get pretty nice surface details as I have done with pla. However the worbla seems a bit more practical, but I would probably have to create the 3d pieces flat and almost treat it more as a cloth pattern.

Would printing (at least the neck area) since that will need to bend all in a flexible material work. I've heard alot in these forums about ninja flex. You have much experience with this on the print side?